Clowney insists he hasn't given up on Gamecocks

All eyes have been on USC's star defensive end after he surprisingly sat out Saturday's game against Kentucky, but he remains "fully committed" to returning to the field.

By MATT CONNOLLYmatthew.connolly@shj.com

COLUMBIA — South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has received plenty of scrutiny over the last couple of days. Media members, fans and even his own coach suggested he may be giving up on his team just halfway through his junior season.Clowney set the record straight Tuesday evening. Speaking to the media for the first time since missing Saturday's game against Kentucky, Clowney said he is fully committed to his team and is doing everything he can to get back on the field.“I've always been about the team. Regardless of what people say, I've been about the team my whole life,” he said. “I dedicate myself to this team and this university, that's why I chose to come here. I'm just going to keep doing whatever I have to do to get better and come back out there and play.”Clowney said he is unsure if he will be well enough to play Saturday at Arkansas, but he has no doubt he will suit up again this season.“No I haven't played my last game here,” Clowney said. “I will be back on the field. I just don't know how long it's going to take me to get back, but I will be back playing.”Clowney told coaches just before Saturday's game that he was in too much pain to play. After the game, head coach Steve Spurrier said, “If he wants to play we'll welcome him to play for the team if he wants to, and if he doesn't want to play he doesn't have to.”Clowney said Spurrier was upset because of a misunderstanding.“It was just really a miscommunication between me and the coaches and the trainer,” he said. “I should have handled it differently, just telling them. It was a miscommunication.”Spurrier backtracked on Tuesday and said he should have handled things differently as well.Spurrier said the correct protocol for dealing with an injury is the athlete tells the trainer and the trainer communicates the injury to the coach.“But we all didn't do that and it caused some confusion,” Spurrier said. “We didn't know he wasn't suiting up until a little later, so we didn't handle it well. He was in pain and it was diagnosed later and obviously, we all handled it poorly.”Spurrier went on to defend Clowney and what he has done for South Carolina's football team and university.“If he never plays another snap here, we all should be thankful and appreciative that he came to South Carolina,” Spurrier said. “We've won 26 games, two 11-2 years, the greatest seasons we've had in the history of this school, 120 years. So, none of us need to be upset at Jadeveon, none of us. He's played his part tremendously. I think we are 26-5 since he suited up for South Carolina. I am all for Jadeveon and his future and when he's ready to play we are going to put him out there.”Clowney said he has pulled muscle tendons near his ribs.“It bothers me when I really try to run and do quick moves,” he said. “They know what's going on now so they're just trying to treat it and get me back.“I come to treatment like three times a day. I'm about to go in there now. (The trainers) ice it, heat it, anything you can think of, we're just trying to get me back fast.”Clowney said whether he plays Saturday or not, he plans to be at the game.“I'm going to be there right beside my team cheering them on, that's what I'm going to do,” he said. “I'm going to continue to do that.”Clowney added that he has not thought about giving up on the season.“Am I fully committed? Always,” he said. “Regardless of what people think, I'm here. I could have sat out. I'm not looking to sit out. I'm not that type of guy. I'm here to work with the team, and when I get back healthy they know I'm going to come out here and play and do my job, do what I've got to do to take care of business on the field.”

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